Create a Bird Friendly Garden

The siting of bird features is very important, is you site features poorly it makes the birds you want to attract vunerable to predators.

The winter months are vitally important and food and water are in short supply due to freezing conditions. Once you start feeding, you will need to continue regularly as the birds will start to rely on you during this time and if the supply is cut off they could end up dying, so to start then stop is worse than doing nothing in the first place.

Bird Tables

Bird tables are common and basic bird feature, you should place it close enough to your house to be seen, but 6 feet from any brand or wall. Make sure that the table is 5 feet high or more. Always try to get one with a roof, this keeps food aswell as the birds out of the rain and stops falling leaves too.

            If you want to stop squirrels and cats from climbing the bird table then use a plastic drainpipe over the top of the wood, this should prevent them from being able to grip stopping them getting up. 

Nest Box

Suitable for all hole-nesting species of birds such as tits, nuthatches and sparrows. Mount it around 6 feet from the ground and camouflage too. Do not situate too close to the house or south facing. The hole should be around 1 inch in diameter and 5 inches from the base. Make it about 4 inches square or more.

Bird Baths

Birds require water to drink and to bath in, this is especially true during hot dry summers or very cold winters. Don’t fill the bird bath too deeply and change it regularly. If using a ground level bird bath always use a wading stone so birds are able to walk in and out.

Give Birds a Variety of Foods

Birds enjoy to eat a variety of foods not just seeds, this includes:

• fats
• peanuts
• cheese
• bacon
• cereals
• fruit
• suet
• wild bird food
• and wholemeal bread too

Spread it out so a number of birds can graze at the same time and avoid foods such as uncooked meat, salted peanuts, white bread and spicy foods!

Feeding Birds at Ground Level

Robins and Thrushes like to feed at ground level, so spread food out in a shallow tray or on your lawn so plenty of them can feed at the same time, but remember to take it away before nightfall to prevent vermin.

Building A Rockery or Rock Garden

A rock garden can add an area of beautiful interest to your garden, transforming a plain garden into something stunning in no time. You usually want a space that is at least 8-10 feet by 4-6 feet for it to be worthwhile.

There are some basic rules with rockery stones though, first of all don’t steal stones from the countryside, it’s illegal. Second, don’t use broken concrete or other substituted stone as these will not be suitable. Try to use the same type of stone for the whole rockery. For a 10 x 5 foot rockery you’ll need around 1-2 tons of stone, dependant on how dense you want the stone quantity to be.

Types Of Stone

Limestone – This stone readily weathers, so the sharp edges are lost rapidly. 

Lime hating plants may suffer if you use limestone though. We would advise against using this type of stone around any ponds too, as this will turn your water alkaline.

The colour is usually grey, but this is not always the case (Cotswold stone is a good example of a non-grey limestone).

Sandstone – There are plenty of attractive colours available for example York Stone, although this does split easy and is very hard. 

Gloucester Red is a very nice looking brick coloured stone.

Granite – A very hard and fine-grained. 

Granite is a non-porous stone and weathers very slowly, we’d advise against using this for a rockery. 

You will find granite is normally very expensive too.

Slate – This rock comes in shades of grey, green or purple and is sharply cornered at first but will weather over time in your garden. 

Slate is a good choice for rockery if you can get nice pieces.

First things first, plan carefully. This is essential before you begin your rockery, remember that you want it to look as natural as you possibly can. You want to pick an area which is free from shade for most of the day for it to thrive. We also advise drawing a rough sketch too.

Next is to prepare the site. Pick a day when the soil is dry so it is easier to work with. Make sure to remove all traces of weeds or these will come back to haunt you and destroy your rock garden. Use a good weed killer if necessary before you begin, glyphosate is a brilliant product for killing weeds.

Drainage is definitely recommended, Dig down around 1 foot and fill with a layer of broken bricks and stones, rubble essentially, then add 2 inches of sand and then top soil.

Move the stones into place. Please be careful at this point, we all know someone with a bad back and we don’t want to be one of them do we? Remember, bend your knees and keep your back straight, and don’t try to lift something you aren’t strong enough to lift.

Set the stones into position. Place the stones in your desired spots, with around one third to a half below the ground, make sure fracture lines run vertically, not horizontally for a more natural look. Stand back after setting the stones to view them and see if you like the appearance.

Planting time, use larger plants sparingly, and try to plant smaller varieties in groups together. Try covering some, but not all of rock faces with carpeting plants also. You can sprinkle gravel around in between your rockery stone. 

Pre Formed Ponds

A question that often comes up is, what type of liner should I use to build my pond? Should I use rubber liner? PVC liner? Concrete or a Pre Formed Rigid pond?

A preformed pond is a rigid liner which is already molded into a shape ready to use, the only thing you need to do is dig the hole, put in the pond and fill it up (of course there is more to it than that, which we will go through soon).

What are preformed ponds made from? They can be made from different materials, the most common and cheapest is plastic, but you can also buy reinforced plastic and even fibre glass pre formed ponds. So let's go through the pro's and cons of each type first. 


Ordinary Plastic Liners - These are the least expensive of the three mentioned, usually quite lightweight and slightly flexible, this makes them alot easier to transport. This also means though that they are easier to pierce and are weakened by sunlight and the corners can crack with age. You will find a lot of these liners will have simulated rock for a nice effect also. Definitely a good idea for beginners or someone on a budget.

 

Reinforced Plastic Pond Liners - Sometimes also called "toughline" preformed ponds, they are alot stronger than ordinary plastic pond liners, this makes them more expensive, but it is worth it if you can afford it at the time. They are heavier and less flexible which makes transport harder. These type of ponds should last between 15-20 years, but some last even longer than that.

Fibreglass Ponds - The most expensive of the three, fibreglass pre-formed ponds will not be affected by the elements because they are resistant to UV light and frost. They are much heavier than plastic ponds and do not flex at all, but if you can find transport for them it is definitely worth it, they are recognised as the best material for rigid pond construction. They should last for 20+ years. Just be careful not to damage them when transporting them as the corners are vunerable to knocks.

Once you have decided on a type of preformed pond to use, and bought it the next step is to install the pond. Incorrect installation is usually the reason that a pond will begin to leak and lose water. Follow these steps below to install your pond correctly and safely and it should last for years to come!

Step 1: Mark Out The Pond
Once you have decided where you want the pond to be, mark out the perimeter of it, and then make another line around a foot (12 inches) out from the perimeter, this will be your excavation area.
Step 2: Start Digging!
Begin your dig from the middle of where the pond will be, this will help to keep the edges intact. Dig the area 2 inches or so deeper than the pond will be, make sure to keep measuring the depth as you don't want to go too much deeper as you will have to refill and soil like this will sink and your pond will begin to sink once the water is in.
Step 3: Installation Begins
Add a layer of building sand (as it is soft) approximiately 2 inches deep. This will protect the pond where the weight is pushing down the most. Drop your preformed pond liner into the hole. Make sure the pond is level by placing a plank of straight (make sure it is straight!) wood across from edge to edge and place a spirit level on top. Once you are satisfied with this you're ready for the next step.
Step 4: Infill Around The Edges
Insert some wooden battens around the edges to hold the liner in place. Start filling the pond with your hose pipe and at the same time as this start to back fill around the edges with the excavated soil, this will make the pond sit firmly in place. Just check you have definitely filled under any marginal shelves.
Step 5: Add Your Finishing Touches
Once the pond is full of water and sitting firmly in place, you can now add your finishes to it, where it's crazy paving around the edging or gravel liner to hide the edges. Remember to seal any concrete or mortar with a sealant to prevent lime leeching into the pond, even if it's not actually in the pond, when it rains it will eventually send the pond alkaline (which we don't want!!).

You have successfully installed your liner, or you're about to. Congratulations! We hope this has helped.